Rockets at Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans viewed the current seven-game homestand as
crucial to saving their season and they have certainly started it off in
superb fashion. New Orleans is looking to improve to 4-0 on the pivotal
stretch when it hosts the Houston Rockets on Monday.
The Pelicans are four games behind eighth-place Sacramento for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference and are aiming to make up more ground. "We know that we needed to take advantage of this stretch at home," backup small forward Ryan Anderson told reporters. "We know that we have an advantage here when the crowd gets into it; it really helps. We know the style and tempo that we need to play." Houston sits in seventh place in the West and has won its past two games, including Sunday's 115-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Star guard James Harden had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory for his eighth career triple-double.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (24-22): Backup forward Josh Smith contributed 16 points in 23 minutes during the win over the Mavericks in his second game back with the team after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. "I feel comfortable," Smith told reporters. "It might have been a little different story if this had been my first time getting to know these guys, but being able to get an opportunity to play with the same team around the same group of guys is awesome." Smith averaged 12 points in 55 games with Houston last season before signing with the Clippers in the offseason but he didn't fit in and averaged 5.7 points in 32 games with Los Angeles before the trade.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (16-27): Anderson scored 23 points and matched his season high of six 3-pointers in Saturday's 116-99 trouncing of the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans made a franchise-record 17 3-pointers. "That's the best feeling just to be in a situation where you're flowing so well that you're impossible to guard," Anderson said afterward. "There's really no timeout or game plan that's going to help." Star power forward Anthony Davis had 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots against Milwaukee and is averaging 26.5 points and 13 rebounds in two games against the Rockets this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pelicans recorded a 110-108 victory Dec. 26 to end a three-game losing streak to the Rockets.
2. Houston C Dwight Howard (ankle) might sit out for the third straight game.
3. Anderson has made six 3-pointers in two of the past five games and three times overall this season.